


Good Help (Is So Hard To Find)

by yorkisms



Category: Lazer Team (2015)
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lazer Team prompt challenge 2016: group support, swearing obviously, that's all i can remember atm it's almost ten and im fried from finishing this, that's me. crusader of the archive., wow i made so many new relationship tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 04:40:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7998943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yorkisms/pseuds/yorkisms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The bricks make me nervous<br/>They're only so strong, though.</p><p>Alternatively: Yes, Hagan’s a compulsive helper lawful-good cop who doesn’t know when to stop. He has limits, though. </p><p>Five times Hagan solved a problem for the team (plus Mindy and Adam) and one time the team had to repay the favor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Help (Is So Hard To Find)

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the Lazer Team prompt week challenge one, group support!! 
> 
> Like I said in the summary, I do see Hagan as a compulsive fixer- so I planned this one around him. (I already have plans to put the rest of the team front and center later on, believe me and don't worry. I try not to play favorites.)

1\. Zach

It doesn't rain much in Milford, but it is raining the night Hagan is woken by someone banging on his door.

It's two in the morning, a check of his alarm clock confirms, and the continued banging causes him to crawl out of bed and downstairs to the front door.

The banging ceases as soon as Hagan yanks the door open to see a very soaked Zach Spencer (who had clearly been knocking with his gun arm- nice, that left a dent).

"It's two in the morning."

"Yeah, um…I need a place to stay."

"You what?"

"You heard me," Zach snaps. He's wearing his old football jacket, the right sleeve has been cut open to accommodate the gun.

"Let me in, I'm fucking soaked."

"First of all tell me what's going on-"

"What's going on, daddy?" Mindy calls from the top of the stairs. Zach smirks.

"It's fine, sweetie, go back to sleep."

"Okay."

"Now what the f-"

"Okay, okay," Zach says quickly.

"My parents kicked me out, alright?"

Hagan processes this for a moment, stunned, and then lets Zach in.

"Jesus. Thanks."

Hagan shuts the door while Zach strips off his waterlogged jacket.

"You're dripping on the floor."

"Yeah, well I had a shit night and I walked here in the rain, so fucking bite me, fuzz."

"You've been talking to Herman too much," Hagan mutters.

"Shouldn't you be fucking getting me clothes that aren't soaked?"

"Fine."

"Goddamn, I thought you were supposed to be friendly small town cop, dad to many."

"Kid, you're sorely mistaken."

\--

Half an hour later Zach is set up on the couch in an old t-shirt and sweatpants and is managing a cup of hot chocolate with one hand.

"You're a filthy liar," Zach mutters to himself. "You fucking dad."

"Don't backtalk me, kid."

"Whatever, dad."

"Can you just tell me what happened?"

"What's there to fucking tell, we had a fight, they told me to get the fuck out and I did."

"There's a lot," Hagan counters.

"You didn’t bring anything, are we gonna have to go back and get it? That’s gonna be a problem by itself."

Zach sighs into his mug.

"Yeah, just take me back there in the middle of the afternoon, they'll both have fucked off to where the fuck ever about then."

"Done."

"Mm."

Zach is now uncharacteristically taciturn, which would raise red flags for anyone.

"What did they say?"

"I don't have to talk about it."

"You don't, but clearly it upset you."

Zach pauses.

"Yeah. They're not fans of saving the world, apparently."

"Yeah?"

"Definitely not. Don't think they even knew I was gone until they saw us on TV."

Hagan stiffens considerably, looking borderline angry

"Bastards," Zach snorts.

"'Why're you always like this, Zach.' 'You're only causing problems for everyone, Zach.' Yeah, I fuckin' know it. S'not like I know how to stop myself."

"Kid…"

"It's nothing," Zach mutters. "Okay? Just take me to get my shit in the morning and let me sleep on your fucking couch until we have to go to space. That’s all I fucking want."

"You got it, kid," Hagan replies softly.

"Turn the lights off when you go to sleep."

He exits, but listens to the sound of Zach drinking the hot chocolate for a while. He hears Zach whack himself gently with the gun.

"Idiot."

Hagan holds his tongue anyway, and as soon as the light switch clicks he goes back to bed.

\--

The next morning Zach wakes up to the smell of bacon.

It takes him a moment to process where he is, and then he sits up and shuffles into the kitchen.

"Oh good. You're awake."

"Jesus christ," Zach slurs tiredly. "What time is it, Hagan?"

"Almost noon."

"Christ."

"I'm taking you to get your stuff in an hour, so get your clothes out of the dryer and let's go."

"You're invested."

Hagan pauses, then shrugs.

"It's…the right thing to do."

Zach pauses, picking up a plate of bacon and chewing one strip slowly, almost thoughtfully.

"It's personal, you mean."

"I never said that."

"Yeah, you pretty much did."

"That's not the issue right now."

Zach raises his eyebrows. "You gonna tell me why it's personal?"

"Not right now, kid."

"Alright, alright."

"Come on," Hagan says, grabbing a set of car keys off the coffee table. "Get dressed and let's go."

\--

Zach's surprised when Hagan gets out of the car with him.

"You can wait here, you know-"

"I'm waiting outside of the car."

"Why are you doing that?"

"Christ, kid, would you just go grab your fucking things?"

Zach snorts, and walks up to the door.

It's unlocked, and within a few minutes Zach is dragging suitcases out to the car.

"Why do you have so much stuff?"

"Jeez, dad, it's only three suitcases, I just gotta get them down the fucking stairs."

"Is that why you've made four trips?"

"The backpack doesn't count, asshole."

"You're going back?"

"Duh, I gotta check again."

Zach bounds back out in a minute with something in his hand, then hops into the passenger seat. Hagan buckles his seatbelt.

"You got everything?"

Zach grins slyly and pulls out a (wrapped) condom with his free hand. "Yeah, man, I got everything."

Hagan groans, rolling his eyes.

"Do you really have to be like that?"

Zach snickers. "C'mon dad, let's get outta here already."

2\. Woody

At some point, Woody ends up in the guest bedroom and Zach's on the downstairs couch which is essentially his kingdom and Herman is begrudgingly relegated to a rollaway bed in Hagan's room.

Yeah, okay, everyone is crashing at his house now and making an even bigger mess and this is fine.

At some point, some weeks on, Herman and Zach are out of the house getting into some sort of trouble- fortunately, as long as they're not around Hagan can permit himself the sin of not bothering- and Woody is watching TV on the couch as Mindy…well, spends the weekend with her mom, for once.

Eventually, having made lunch (Hagan's developed quite the cooking skills, having been a single dad for some time now) he wanders back in to the TV room where Woody is curled up on the couch.

There's some science show running on the TV- of course- so he sits back and does his best to eat. The hand's kind of a hindrance.

Eventually, he notices Woody is eyeing the food, and sets it down.

"Something wrong?"

"Well I can't eat," Woody points out, "And the injections the army gave me aren't that fun-"

Hagan frowns, leaning forwards and looking at Woody's helmet.

"There's no way in hell that thing doesn't come off."

Woody blinks, confused.

"None of the pieces of the suit of power come off-"

Hagan sighs and moves around the couch to Woody.

"No, no, that’s not what I mean. Here-"

He digs one hand under a seam around the bottom of the helmet. Woody yelps slightly.

"Tell me if this starts to hurt."

After a few quick yanks, the top part of the helmet has popped off and Hagan can raise it up over Woody's head while the parts on his shoulders stay put.

"I knew it."

He absolutely does not know it.

Woody looks completely shocked.

"It didn't tell me it would do that."

"Well, I figured it would."

"How?"

Hagan pauses, because quite honestly, it was a shot in the dark.

"Um…logic."

Woody nods slowly, then pauses.

"Can…can I have lunch now?"

Hagan sighs.

"Yeah. Anything you want?"

Woody pauses, thinking.

"…everything?"

"Okay, let's tone it down a little bit-"

"Can we get hamburgers?" Woody asks innocently, and Hagan sighs.

"Get in the car."

When Zach and Herman get home, Woody is in the same spot as he was before, watching Mythbusters. Except now he has the helmet's visor up and is munching happily on a cheeseburger.

"Dude, that thing comes off?" Zach asks.

Woody nods, swallowing his food.

"Yep!"

He practically beams.

"Hagan figured it out!"

"Damn, dude," Herman comments.

"Hey, Woody, you wanna throw all the liquid food injections or whatever out the window?"

"Do I!"

Herman practically cackles, but Hagan interrupts them from the kitchen with "All right, let's not go that far."

Herman shrugs, looks at Zach and Woody, and mouths "let's."

They do anyway.

3\. Herman

Herman's waiting by his car when school lets out and he's already there by the time Hagan arrives. He's got his uniform on anyway, for no other reason than that he likes how he looks in it (and he likes the attention.)

"Wow, you're slow."

Hagan glares, tossing his backpack into the backseat.

"Had to talk to my english teacher."

"Why?" Herman asks with a smirk as he opens the door and gets in the driver's seat. "You failing?"

Hagan glares, circling around to the other side.

"No, she asked about the game schedule for this year."

Herman laughs, starting his car.

"Alright, alright, if you say so."

Herman looks over his shoulder, and then starts to pull out.

"We got practice on Friday."

"Yeah, I know."

"You wanna get burgers?"

"End of summer burgers? Yeah. Sure."

Some fifteen minutes later, they're seated in the booth of a local diner, chatting.

"-you think class is gonna be shit?"

"Nah, man, we're seniors now!" Herman exclaims with a laugh.

"Easy. Just gotta play the game, show off, make sure we look good…"

"Okay, you're right, you're right."

Herman snickers, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Tony, I'm always right. Hey, we look like we've been eating burgers all summer?"

"Nnnaah…"

"Ah, come on, be serious."

"Maybe a little…"

"We gotta work out, dude."

"Haven't you been going on runs in the morning?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then don't worry about it."

Herman snorts.

"What was I just saying about how we have to look good?"

"Okay," Hagan says, mouth full.

"We're going to the fucking gym after this, okay? You're gonna do time on the treadmill, and all the good stuff. Deal?"

Herman laughs. "Okay, okay, deal."

\--

"We're going back to the gym today," Hagan declares when he arrives at Herman's car the next day.

Herman grins.

"Not even a hello, Tony?"

"Herman, at this point in our friendship do I need to do that?"

"Touche. Anyway," Herman continues, sliding into the driver's seat, "What's all this?"

"Well, we do make a better impression if we're more prepared for fall."

"You make a compelling argument, Tony, let's hit the machines."

\--

As of that Friday, they've been returned to their normal routine for some four or five days, now. They're both visibly more warmed up during their first proper practice, and the coach takes the end of the day to point that out.

"Hell, Hagan and Mendoza did the best. Knowing them, I thought they'd slack off the most over the summer."

Their coach raises his eyes, and they're both trying very hard not to laugh.

"I guess I was wrong about them."

Once they're released to the locker room, they both burst out laughing, unable to contain their shock and amusement.

"Did you think everyone else would have done nothing?" Herman practically howls.

"Did you think we'd actually look the best?" Hagan replies, borderline giggling.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me!"

"That was so great-"

"A legend," Herman says dramatically.

"Wow, you saved my ass, Tony."

"Come on," Hagan says, slightly embarrassed. He pulls off his shirt, opening his locker.

"I've always got your back. Haven't I?"

"Shiit, Tony. You sure have."

4\. Mindy

"Daddy."

"Yes?"

"I need new clothes."

"Why's that?"

"Well, I'm starting middle school next week," Mindy points out. "I'm gonna need new clothes to impress everyone."

Sometimes, she surprises him with her wherewithal, sometimes she reminds him of her mother.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do."

"Daddy…"

"I promise, princess."

\--

That Friday, as soon as he gets off work, he takes her to the large mall over in Ruby Lakes. She's old enough now to sit in the passenger seat of his work car, so he can't joke anymore like when she sat in the back. ("Young lady, why did you make me have to arrest you?")

Either way, when she comes out to the car, he looks at her when she puts one hand on the passenger door.

"What?" she asks, and he stifles a grin.

"You're not getting arrested anymore, hm?"

She groans loudly.

"Daaaad…"

"Alright," he says, getting in on the driver's side.

"Let's go."

The mall at Ruby Lakes is in no way the largest or best mall in the world, but it's a pretty good one for the Milford area. If you don't have the time or energy or even money to drive to the nearest city, it's the best you can get.

He lets her run the show, mostly, she gets to try on whatever she wants and buy near-whatever she wants as long as it's not too expensive for them.

He has limits, after all, single dad working in a fairly low-paying job. He asked her mother for help and she's given him some slack to work with Mindy's wants.

He waits for her, mostly.

They take a break halfway through for food.

"So," he asks, watching her from across the table.

"Have you got everything you want?"

She nods for a second, and then pauses.

"Actually…"

"Actually what?"

"There's one thing I totally need."

"Absolutely?"

She nods. "Absolutely."

\--

"How was the first day of school?" Hagan asks as Mindy throws her backpack in the back.

"Pretty good!" she replies cheerfully, hopping into the passenger seat.

"I'm sitting next to this girl in math and she seems pretty neat!"

"Yeah, what's her name?"

"Jules!" Mindy replies cheerfully. "She said she liked my new shirt."

"That's good."

"Oh, and the fall dance is in a few weeks!"

"Well, we know how to deal with that, don't we?" Hagan replies. Mindy nods.

"Yep!"

\--

Jules' parents come to pick Mindy up, because that night Milford High is playing a football game- with a new starting quarterback. That means Hagan has to work, and he wishes he could be driving her to her first middle school dance instead.

"Mindy, Jules is here!" he calls upstairs, adjusting his uniform.

"Coming!"

Mindy accordingly dashes downstairs, wearing an amber and yellow dress that comes halfway down her shins. She's got makeup on, done quite well- Hagan's not sure where she learned to do that, probably from her mother.

"How do I look?"

"You look beautiful, sweetheart."

She grins, and he pauses to adjust one of the bobby pins in her hair.

"Alright. Jules is gonna drop you off back here?"

"Yep!"

"And text me when you get home."

"I will."

"And if you need me I'll come get you. You remember the code word-"

"Yeah, dad, double rainbow."

"Okay, good. Be home before nine."

"I will…"

"And have fun."

"I'll definitely do that."

"I love you."

"Love you too, dad."

5\. Adam

Adam knows, fortunately, how to drive, and he insists on handling it as they head straight to the stadium. They're mostly quiet, until Adam speaks. He sounds uncharacteristically un-confident.

"I…before you returned, I read your file."

Hagan makes a noncommittal noise.

"There's one thing I don't understand."

"Yeah?"

"Why…why did you become a police officer?"

Hagan pauses, and Adam continues.

"It…doesn't make much sense, to me," he admits.

"If something like that happened…assuming I was in your situation, I wouldn't stay here."

"Things are complicated," Hagan replies quietly.

"My ex-wife was pregnant with our daughter before I even had the chance, and I refused to abandon them, for one."

"But why police," Adam repeats.

"It's the one thing I can't understand. This town took everything from you, every opportunity you ever had to rise up and become something- somebody- and you weren't angry?"

Hagan shakes his head.

"No, I wasn't. It was beyond my control, what everyone else did, but I'm the only one that can do anything."

"And you used your agency to give back to a completely unforgiving world?"

"Yeah, I guess that I did." He shrugs.

"I just wanted to help people."

"Did you?" Adam asks.

"--when you were an officer, did you?"

Hagan sighs tiredly.

"No, not really."

"Then why did you stay? Apart from your family?"

"Because it was the right thing to do, because someday I thought I'd find someone who needed my help and I could do something good."

To atone for his sins, of course.

Adam pauses.

"And you did."

"Huh?"

"You found the suit," Adam points out.

"That's something…something that needed you. And the team…they need you."

"They sure don't act like it," Hagan mutters sardonically.

"But they do. I know it."

Adam sighs, and Hagan looks at him sideways.

"Is something wrong?"

Adam shakes his head.

"No, actually. Something is right."

"What is?"

"You helped me to understand that even if…even if I fail, I can still help people. I can still save the world, with or without that suit. Thank you."

"Hm," Hagan says.

"Yeah- yeah, you can."

6\. Plus One

The day of July 24th, some five months after the time the group known as Lazer Team saved the world, starts off fine and immediately goes to hell.

First of all, the microwave at Hagan's house is busted at about seven in the morning. Zach- and this time accidentally- left a spoon in it, trying to heat up some coffee.

Secondly, by the time Hagan actually decides to get up, the downstairs is a complete mess from Herman (featuring Woody) trying to cook breakfast without really any knowledge of one, how to cook, or two, how to navigate the kitchen.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," are the first words out of Hagan's mouth when he sees what's going on.

"Yeah," Herman says, trying to make up an excuse.

"Uh…so….it's Zach's fault."

"What the fuck, man?"

"Forget it," Hagan mutters, grabbing his car keys.

"Clean it up."

The front door slams on his way out, and Zach blinks.

"What the fuck was that about?"

Woody shrugs.

Herman sighs.

"You heard the man, kids, clean this shit up."

Zach glares.

"Why the fuck did you try to pin this on me, you're the one who was like 'oh yeah, let's cook something, I'm a fucking genius'! It's not like we can ask Mindy how to do it, she's out for the weekend and you were like 'nooo, we shouldn't wake him up'-"

"Hey, enough shit-talking, kid," Herman growls. Woody's helmet bleeps.

"Zachary, your phone is active."

Zach pulls out his phone and answers a call from Mindy on speaker.

"Hey Mindy, what's up?"

"I left a present for my dad at home, can you give it to him?" she asks, and Zach looks confused.

"A present, why?"

Mindy sighs.

"You idiots."

"Who're you calling idiots!" Herman snaps.

"Woody, what's the date," Mindy asks tiredly.

"July 24, 2016."

Herman pauses, and then cringes slightly.

"What the fuck?" Zach asks.

"Yeah, it's Hagan's birthday."

"Shiiit," Zach groans. "We totally fucked up his birthday. Oh my god. We're assholes."

"Yeah!" Mindy exclaims.

"Knowing you three, you probably did! Just-- fix whatever you screwed up, and I left a present in my room, okay? It' on my bed. Don't screw it up! I gotta go."

She hangs up, and Zach sighs.

"Herman?"

"Why're you looking at me?"

"You guys, like, touched dicks all the time in high school, don't you know pretty much everything about him?"

Herman looks taken by surprise by that phrasing, but nods.

"I see your point."

"First we should clean up the kitchen," Woody points  out, and Herman sighs.

"Alright. Then we can be good people. Sort of."

"For the day," Woody comments cheerfully.

"Don't be so snarky, kid."

\--

Hagan's hiding out in one of the places the team, who he is currently very irritated with, are less likely to look- one of the more obscure restaurants, over in Ruby Lakes- when his phone rings.

He lets it go to voicemail without checking who it is.

His phone rings again, and he repeats, but on the third ring he pulls it out and answers.

"What do you want."

"It's Herman."

"What did he do now."

"No, it's me, Tony."

"What did you do now?"

Herman sighs. "I get it. You're mad and you're having a shitty day, Tony. Can you please come back to the house."

"Why?" Hagan asks bitterly. "You need help with something?"

"Nope. Just…come home. Real quick. If you're still mad when we're done you can run off for the rest 'f the day and fair."

"I fear what you're about to do," Hagan mutters sardonically.

"Come ooon," Herman replies.

"Don't you have a little more faith in us?"

"Zero-point-zero percent."

"Screw you, Tony," Herman mutters. "You're lucky it's your damn birthday. Get your ass back here or I'm gonna have to come find you and carry you outta there."

"I'm coming," Hagan replies flatly.

"Great! See you in five, Tony."

Herman hangs up, and Hagan sighs tiredly before pulling out his car keys.

\--

The lights are off when Hagan gets home.

"What kind of shit-"

Herman flicks the lights on so fast that Hagan is immediately blinded.

"Happy birthday, Tony!"

It's nothing big- unsurprising, considering that they've come up with this over the course of a few hours.

There's a cake, at least, which has an awful frosting job which probably (definitely) means that they used cake mix and tried to do it themselves, possibly (absolutely) because ordering one was too expensive. At least Zach has an excuse.

"You didn't need t-"

"Don't be an asshole, Tony, you were the one being a total drag about it. Get in here, there's presents."

Hagan sighs and walks further in to the kitchen.

"I appreciate the thought, but I didn't need anything big-"

"Man, what kind of miracle workers do you think we are? Woody made you a card, by the way. That's his present, and I had nothing to do with it."

The card, by the way, is a picture that is somewhere between stick figures and a thirteen year old's first attempt at manga (Woody's not the best artist) and it's a drawing of the entire team together. Hagan seems confused at first, and then Herman gives him the "you'd-better-not-crush-him" look.

As if Hagan intended to.

"This is really nice, Woody, thank you."

"You can't see my present," Herman declares, taking a drink of some coffee he clearly had prepared for himself while Hagan was out, "Because one, it's not here yet, two, gotta pay to get it in. It’s a new microwave. You already paid twice for this little shit's crap and I'm not gonna make you call Home Depot on your birthday cause that's just mean."

"Sorry," Zach mutters.

"I got you this."

Zach hands him a package, and Hagan has to maneuver with the shield gauntlet to get it open properly.

It's an old sweater, emphasis on old, knit camoflage with a vaguely Christmassy pattern on the front. But what's notable is that the left arm of it is slit, like all of Zach's jackets.

"Stole it when I left my parents' house cause I wanted to. Figured…Figured it would look less god-awful on you."

And Hagan knows that that's the most acknowledgment of his role as Team Dad he'll ever get from Zach, and that's okay. Some things are gratifying without being constant.

"Oh, and Mindy left you this thing," Zach adds as a quick change of subject, sliding a box across the counter to Hagan, who catches it.

"No idea what it is, she just said to give it to you."

"Huh."

Hagan picks it up and carefully unwraps the box.

Inside the box is a card, which he reads first.

_Daddy,_

_Sorry I can't be at home today, but I made this for you. I hope you like it!_

And underneath the card is a carefully wrapped mug, which has a carefully painted drawing of the shield gauntlet on it. On the other side are words.

_I save the world. What does your super dad do?_

Hagan snorts.

He loves it.

He doesn't get appreciated much, and he's used to it, but once or twice, it counts. Once or twice, it really, really counts.


End file.
